Interleaving device



Jan. 3, 1939. R. cs. FORD INTERLEAVING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l -I NVENTOR fi m I/Zfifi ORNEYS Jan. 3, 1939.

R. G. FORD INTERLEAVING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1938 Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFEQE 6 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in interleaving devices of the type used for placing or depositing a blotter or separator on each sheet of successively delivered, freshly printed sheets to prevent smudging.

Such devices are commonly connected to and operate in timed relation with a mimeographing, multigraphing or other duplicating machine, which may be of any usual construction for delivering printed sheets in rapid succession. The interleaving device should be so constructed that no matter how rapidly the printed sheets are delivered, a separator is placed on the printed page before the back page of the next printed sheet reaches it. To this end it has been proposed heretofore to interpose the separators between the printed sheets in various ways, as by dropping them substantially horizontally onto the delivered sheets, or by positively pushing them through an arc onto the delivered sheets.

The present invention is more particularly an improvement in interleaving devices in which the separators are stacked horizontally over the receptacle for receiving the delivered, printed sheets, and releasing the lowermost separator in timed relation with the delivery of a printed sheet to permit it to fall by gravity onto the printed sheet before the next sheet reaches it. In this type of interleaving device, if the lowermost separator is pulled directly downward from the stack, a partial vacuum is temporarily created between its top surface and the bottom surface of the next or second lowermost separator, thereby slightly retarding the descent of the released separator, which results in slowing down the speed at which the duplicating machine may be operated. To obviate or nullify the retarding effect of the tendency to create a partial vacuum while removing the lowermost of the stack of horizontally arranged separators, it has been proposed to first remove the lowermost separator to destroy the partial vacuum and then drop the released separator. Some of such proposed interleaving devices have not given general satisfaction, while others; although satisfactory in operation, are complicated in construction and accordingly, too expensive to meet the demands of the trade.

The objectof the present invention is to produce an interleaving device of such improved and simplified construction that by avoiding the creation of a partial vacuum it will remove each lowermost separator of a stack of horizontally arranged separators and deliver it to or deposit it on-each of a succession of printed sheets, irrespective of the speed at which the sheets are printed and delivered to the receptacle. In the accomplishment of this object the invention consists in the improved interleaving device hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved interleaving device, shown connected with and operated from a duplicating machine of conventional type; Fig. 2 is a top plan of the parts of the interleaving device shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are longitudinal sections taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the successive steps in releasing the lowermost of the stack of horizontally-arranged separators and permitting it to descend toward a printed sheet in the receptacle; and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are transverse sections taken on the lines 'I,I, 8-8 and 9-9 respectively, of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

As illustrated in the drawings, the improved interleaving device comprises a magazine, generally indicated at I in Fig. 1, for holding a stack of horizontally arranged separators or blotters I3, the separators being of rectangular shape, as shown in Fig. 2, and the frame of the magazine being slightly larger in plan than the separators. The magazine I for holding the separators or blotters I3 is positioned above a receptacle I4 for receiving the printed sheets I5 which are delivered from the duplicating machine, generally indicated at 2 in Fig l, the direction of travel of each printed sheet I5 being indicated by the arrow IE. As is usual in duplicating machines of the conventional type, as illustrated, the printing drum I! is rotated by the operator through the medium of the handle 2|.

The improved interleaving device comprises a front or main support 34 which is T-shaped in plan, as shown in Fig. 2, and is supported from the bottom of the front or guard wall 9 of the magazine I. The bottom of the front wall 9 of the magazine serves as a stop or guard to prevent the forward movement of the separator sheets superposed on the lowermost separator sheet I3a, and for this purpose the support 34 is positioned below the lower edge of the guard wall 9 a distance corresponding to the thickness of a separator sheet, as indicated at Ill. Each of the separator sheets is provided to the rear of the support 34 with a correspondingly' shaped opening I which is slightly larger than the support 34 so that when the lowermost separator has moved forward during the operation of detaching it from the stack the forward end thereof will descend when the opening I is in registry with the support 34, as shown in Fig. 4.

The rear end of the stack of horizontally-arranged separators I 3 is normally supported on the transversely-arranged shelf I2 forming part of a reciprocatory slide, generally indicated at I I, which is transversely arranged at the rear end of the magazine I and operated from the duplieating machine in timed relation with the delivery of printed sheets I5 therefrom. For this purpose the slide I I is connected with the rear ends of reciprocating rods 26 located at the bottom of each side of the magazine I and mounted in the guides 21 and 28 supported from the lower sides of the magazine I. At their forward ends the rods 26 are pivotally connected at 25 with the rear ends of the links 3, the forward ends of which are pivotally connected at 24 with the arms I9 (only one being shown) pivoted at 23 in the frame of the duplicating machine 2. Each of the arms I9 carries at its upper end a roll 22 which is yieldingly held against the surface of a cam I8 mounted on the drum of the shaft IT by means of a spring 20. From a consideration of the cam I8 shown in Fig. 1 it will be understood that during one complete rotation of the arm 2| the slide II will be caused to move forward and then rearward as a complete cycle of operation. The magazine I and the parts of the interleaving device associated therewith are supported in position with relation to the duplicating machine 2 by means of the rear brackets 3I and 32 and the forward brackets 33 the forward slotted ends 29 of which are adapted for engagement with the studs 33 in the frame of the duplicating machine 2. To facilitate the feeding of the separator sheets I3 into the magazine I the inner face of the guard wall 9 is provided with a vertically-arranged guide member 45 which accommodates the neck of the front or main support 34 for the forward end of the stack of separators.

As shown in the longitudinal section of the improved interleaving device illustrated in Fig. 3, the rear end of the stack of separator sheets I3 rests on the shelf I2 of the slide II, and the front end of the stack of separator sheets rests on the support 34, that is to say, the rear end of the lowermost separator I3a is directly in contact with the shelf I2 and the forward end of the separator I3a is directly in contact with the support 34. On the first forward stroke of the slide II the transverse shoulder 46 located to the rear of the shelf I2 engages with the rear edge of the lowermost separator I30. and pushes it forward to the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby bringing the opening I over the support 34 to permit the forward end of the lowermost separator I3a to descend onto the shelf-dike members 39 and 40 depending from the lower forward lateral edges of the magazine I by means of the brackets 35 and 36, respectively. The shelf-like members 39 and 4D constitute front secondary supports for temporarily holding the forward released end of the lowermost separator I3a, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. To permit the forward end of the lowermost separator to descend upon the front secondary supports 39 and 40, the sides of the forward end of the separators are provided with the lateral notches 5 and 6 located to the rear of the brackets 35 and 33 substantially the same distance the openings I are located to the rear of the support 34, so that when the lowermost separator has been moved forward on the first forward stroke of the slide II the notches 5 and 6 register with the brackets 35 and 36.

As the slide II is moving forward with the shoulder 45 at the rear of the shelf I2 in engagement with the rear edge of the lowermost separator I311, the top surface of the slide I I, which constitutes a platform, passes under the under surface of the rear end of the second lowermost separator I317, as indicated in Fig. 4, so that the upper surface of the slide II constitutes a support for the rear end of the stack of separators in the magazine I, and continues to constitute such support on the rearward stroke of the slide II until the upper surface thereof passes beyond the rear edge of the stack of separators and permits it to descend upon the shelf I2, as shown in Fig. 5.

On the first rearward movement of the slide II the shelf I2 of the slide passes beyond the rear end of the lowermost separator I3a and thereby releases it, permitting it to descend upon the rear secondary supports M and 42, which project inwardly under the sides of the rear end of the stack of separators and are held in substantially the same horizontal plane as the front secondary supports 39 and 40, by means of the brackets 31 and 33 attached to the sides of the magazine I.

The released lowermost separator I311 is now held momentarily in substantially horizontal position by the front secondary supports 39 and 40 and by the rear secondary supports 41 and 42, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5. Since the front secondary supports and the rear secondary supports on which the released lowermost separator I3a momentarily rests is a substantial distance below the now lowermost separator, indicated at I31) in Fig. 5, it will be observed that the air pocket 44 between the top surface of the separator I3a and the lower surface of the separator I3b has destroyed any tendency to form a partial vacuum between these surfaces. This is accomplished, as it will be observed, by first causing the forward end of the lowermost separator to descend before disturbing the rear end thereof, and then when the forward end of the lowermost separator is supported on the front secondary supports 39 and 40, causing the rear end thereof to descend onto the rear secondary supports M and 42, all this occurring before permitting the released separator to drop onto the last printed sheet in the receptacle I 4.

The released lowermost separator I3a is now in condition to be dropped onto the last delivered printed sheet I5 in the receptacle I4 on the next revolution of the drum IT by means of the handle 2 I, and accordingly, on the second forward stroke of the slide I I, the apron 43 depending from the front edge of the shelf I2 contacts with the rear edge of the separator I3a and pushes it forward, thereby causing the lateral notches 5 and 6 to register with the shelves or secondary supports 39 and 40, and the rear edge of the separator I3a to pass forward beyond the front edges of the rear secondary supports II and 42, as indicated in Fig. 6. The fully released separator I3a now descends by gravity, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6, down into the receptacle I4 to be deposited on the printed upper side of the sheet I5 before the next printed sheet is placed thereon.

On the second forward stroke of the slide II, during which the apron 43 engages with the rear edge of the separator I3a to push it off the front and rear secondary supports, the shoulder I2 engages with the rear edge of the separator I31) and moves it forward to the position shown in Fig. 6, with the openings 5, 6 and l in registry withthe bracket 35, the support 34 and the bracket 36, so that the forward end thereof may descend to rest on the front secondary supports 39 and 40. During this second forward movement or stroke of the slide H the upper surface or platform of the slide passes under the lower surface of the rear end of the'next or third lowermost separator i3c, as shown in Fig. 6.

The complete cycle of operation of the improved interleaving device has now been indicated. On the first forward stroke of the slide l I, the forward end of the lowermost separator 13a is caused to descend upon the front secondary supports, and on the first rearward stroke of the slide, the rear end of the lowermost separator is caused to descend upon the rear secondary supports, thereby creating the air pocket 44 between the upper surface of the released separator I3a and the under surface of the next lowermost separator 13?), thus putting the released separator in position to descend immediately under the force of gravity without any retarding effect by a partial vacuum. And in this connection, it will be observed that since the printed sheets must settle through the air by the force of gravity, the fully released separators descend upon them under the same condition, and therefore there is no greater retardation to the descent of the separators onto the printed sheets than there is to the descent of the printed sheets into the receptacle M. The lower edge of the front wall 9 of the magazine I permits only the lowermost separator of the stack in the magazine to be moved forward on a forward stroke of the slide H; and any tendency of such separator to be drawn backwardly on the next rearward stroke of the slide is counteracted by the engagement of the front edges of the notches 5 and 6 with the front faces of the brackets 35 and 36.

I claim:

1. A device for releasing the lowermost of a stack of horizontally arranged separator sheets to permit it to descend, comprising a support on which the front end of the stack rests, a reciprocatory slide for supporting the rear end of the stack and for pushing forward the lowermost separator, each separator having an opening located to register with the support topermit the forward end of the lowermost separator to descend on the first forward stroke of the slide, the rearward stroke of the slide releasing the rear end of the lowermost separator to permit it to descend, and secondary supports located below the stack in the same horizontal plane for catching the released separator, the second forward stroke of the slide serving to push the separator oil the secondary supports.

2. A device for releasing the lowermost of a stack of horizontally arranged separator sheets to permit it to descend, comprising a support on which the forward end of the stack rests, a reciprocating slide for supporting the rear end of the stack and for pushing forward the lowermost separator, front secondary supports and rear secondary supports located under the stack in substantially the same horizontal plane, each of the separators being provided with openings located to register with the support and the front secondary supports to permit the forward end of the lowermost separator to descend onto the front secondary supports on the first forward stroke of the slide, the rearward stroke of the slide releasing the rear end of the lowermost separator to permit it to descend onto the rear secondary supports, the next forward stroke of the slide serving to push the separator off the secondary supports.

3. A device for depositing a separator on each of successively delivered sheets, comprising a support on which rests the forward end of the lowermost separator of a stack positioned over a receptacle for receiving the sheets, a front secondary support located under each side of the forward end of the stack, a reciprocating slide for supporting the rear end of the stack and for pushing forward the lowermost separator, each of said separators being provided with openings located to register with the supports on the forward movement of the lowermost separator to permit the forward end thereof to descend onto the front secondary supports and a rear secondary support located under each side of the rear end of the stack and onto which the rear end of the lowermost separator descends on the rearward stroke of the slide, the second forward stroke of the slide serving to push the separator from the secondary supports.

4. A device for depositing a separator on each of successively delivered sheets, comprising means for supporting a stack of separators over a receptacle for receiving the sheets, said means including a support on which the forward end of the lowermost separator rests, an arm for holding the support in position, a guard located forward of and above the plane of the support the thickness of a separator, each of said stack of separators being provided at its forward end with an opening located to the rear of and being larger than the support and a channel leading from the opening to the front edge of the separator and corresponding in location to the arm, a reciprocating slide consisting of a shelf on which the rear end of the lowermost separator rests, a shoulder located to the rear of the shelf to engage the rear edge of the lowermost separator on the first forward stroke of the slide, a platform for passing under the rear end of the second lowermost separator, and an apron for engaging the rear edge of the lowermost separator on the second forward stroke of the slide, and secondary means for supporting the lowermost separator after the first forward and rearward strokes of the slide, said second forward stroke of the slide serving to push said separator off the secondary supporting means,

5. A device for depositing a separator on each of successively delivered sheets, comprising means for supporting a stack of separators over a receptacle for receiving the delivered sheets. said supporting means including a main support on which the forward end of the lowermost separator rests, and a reciprocating slide on which the rear end of the lowermost separator rests, each of said separators being provided at its forward end with an opening located to the rear of and larger than the support, a front secondary support located below each side of the forward end of the lowermost separator, each of said separators being provided with a lateral notch corresponding to a front secondary support and located to the rear thereof substantially the same distance the opening is located to the rear of the main support, a rear secondary support located under each side of the rear end of the lowermost separator, said reciprocating slide consisting of a shelf on which the rear end of the lowermost separator normally rests, a platform located to the rear of and the thickness of a separator above the shelf, thereby forming a shoulder adapted to push forward the lowermost separator on the first forward stroke of the slide, and an apron depending from the shelf for pushing forward the lowermost separator on the second forward stroke of the slide, the arrangement be-- ing such that on the first forward stroke of the slide the lowermost separator is pushed forward bringing the opening over the main support and the notches over the front secondary supports thereby permitting the forward end of said separator to fall onto the front secondary supports, the rearward stroke of slide disengaging the shelf from the rear end of the lowermost separator and permitting it to fall onto the rear secondary supports and the next forward stroke of the slide serving to push the separator off the secondary supports to permit it to fall toward the receptacle.

6.'A device for depositing a separator on each of successively delivered sheets, comprising a reclprocating slide consisting of a shelf on which rests the rear end of the lowermost separator, of a stack of separators positioned over a receptacle f01 receiving the delivered sheets, while the slide is at the end of its rearward stroke, a shoulder for engaging the rear end of the lowermost separator to push the latter forward on the first forward stroke of the slide; a platform which masses under the rear end of the second lowermost separator on the forward stroke of the slide and thereby supports the rear end of said second lowermost separator on the rearward stroke of the slide on the release of the rear end of the lowermost separator by the shelf, and an apron depending from the front edge of the shelf for engaging the rear edge of the released separator to push it still farther forward on the second forward stroke of the slide, rear secondary supports for receiving the rear end of the lowermost separator on its descent following its release from the shelf on the rearward stroke of the slide, a support on which the forward end of the lowermost separator of the stack of separators rests, each of the separators in the stack being provided with an opening located at the rear of the support and communicating with the front edge of the separators by a channel, a guard for preventing the stack of separators from moving forward on the forward stroke of the slide, said support being located at the rear of the guard and positioned below it the thickness of a separator, a front secondary support located below each forward side of the stack of separators, said separators being provided on each side with a lateral notch located to the rear of the secondary supports, the arrangement being such that on the first forward stroke of the slide the openings in the lowermost separator coincide with the supports so that the forward end of said separator falls downwardly and is caught and held by the front secondary supports, the second forward stroke of the slide serving to move the separator from engagement with the secondary supports to permit the separator to fall.

REID G. FORD. 

